Holding Pattern
by innuendoprofessional
Summary: Castle and Beckett are in a constant holding pattern. They dance around each other, never moving any closer. What happens when one of them decides they've had enough? Does not follow the season 3 finale. This story has been reposted.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Okay, so this is set a few months into the future (I started this before we had any real information on Beckett's new doctor boyfriend, so as far as this story is concerned, he was just some motorcycle-guy she dated a few times). It shouldn't be too long, just a chapter or two, maybe longer if there's a big response and I can make it work. Anyways, enjoy and please review!

Sorry, I've been having issues with my profile and somehow this story got deleted. Just reposting it.

* * *

><p><em><strong>June 2011<strong>_

Kate sighed unsteadily as she faced the door—_his_ door. It was 4:37 in the morning and they had just gotten off a hellish case. A serial killer with a penchant for young women had taken up residence in New York. It was six long days with practically no rest, but Beckett and the team were finally able to catch him. It took everything in her to break the dirt bag, Marcus Grimes, during interrogation but she got him—she always did. Afterward, Montgomery had given them the weekend off to recuperate and catch up on some much needed sleep—which is where Kate Beckett should be right now. At this exact second, she should be in bed, cuddled up to her boyfriend of six months—an ER doctor whom she had met when she was forced to get checked out—but no, here she was, pounding on the door of Richard Castle, Mystery Novelist Extraordinaire and her pain-in-her-ass-partner.

"Hold on," Castle's voice was muffled by the door. "I'm coming." He called out more forcefully as she rapped on the door again. He yanked it open. "Beckett?" He looked out of sorts, as if she had just pulled him from a deep sleep—which she most likely had considering that he had been with her for every step of the case. Castle quickly moved aside and she stormed into his loft. He scratched his head, trying to find a rational explanation for her presence. "What's going on? Did something happen with Grimes?"

"I can't do it anymore." Kate kept her eyes stubbornly on the ground.

"Do what? I don't understand."

She took a deep breath and finally raised her eyes to meet his. "I try, so hard, and it's good—great even—but it just isn't…right."

Castle took in her appearance. The normally immaculately put together Detective Katherine Beckett was disheveled to say the least. Her clothes were the same ones she had been wearing for the last two days, only now significantly more wrinkled. Her hair was mussed, as if she had been constantly running her hands through it. And her eyes, the most telling parts of her, were red rimmed, only the slightest vestiges of her tears remained. "Beckett, I'm trying to follow you here but I have no idea—"

"You know, James is perfect. He's a _pediatrician_ for God's sake. And a gentleman, and polite and caring and honest and he respects my boundaries. When I don't want to talk about something, he drops it, and when I need space he gives it to me."

Castle shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Okay," he stretched the syllables out. _She's talking about __**Dr. Perfect**__,_ he thought bitterly. Before Dr. Perfect had shown up, Castle and Beckett had been inching closer and closer to something, much the same as they had been before. Castle had finally begun to make a real play for her and Beckett and finally started to take him seriously. They had been in a tenuous place, neither willing to make the first move. Enter Dr. James Whitlock. At first, it had played out much like the Demming incident—Castle was jealous and had started to act out for her attention and Kate simply went on as usual—but Rick soon realized the problem. She was happy—really, honestly happy. And as it turned out, Dr. Whitlock was actually a pretty decent guy. He put up with Beckett's crazy hours, got along well with everyone at the precinct, and he was even okay with the duo's strange relationship—he was actually a fan of Castle's writing. So Rick did the only thing he could, he fell on his proverbial sword and encouraged the relationship—no matter how much it tore at his heart. "Did something happen?" He still didn't understand her presence in his loft at that un-Godly hour.

She looked him square in the eyes and said, "He's not you." Rick swallowed hard. "He tells me that he loves me and that I'm beautiful…and I know he means it. But no matter what he says or what he does, it's not right—it can't be—because it I don't feel the way I do after you call me extraordinary…" She laughed harshly, "Or even when you tell me that I'm tall."

Rick stood dumbstruck. "Kate…" He didn't know where to begin. Every single time that he had imagined this scenario, it had been him to make the first move, to acknowledge the feelings that they shared and start the transition from friends to something more.

"I'm not blind, Castle. You and I are constantly in this…holding pattern. We circle around each other but we just go about our lives, never moving any closer or any further apart. It needs to stop…I need to know."

Rick cleared his throat. "Know what?"

Kate took a deep, steadying breath before speaking. "Can we make this work?"

Rick's breath hitched, this was it—the moment he had been waiting almost three years for. Kate Beckett was no longer pretending to be oblivious. Not only was she acknowledging his feelings but hers as well. While it was never verbalized, anyone with eyes could see the attraction, could see the real feelings that the two shared. Many assumed the problem was that one or both was blind to it, but Castle and Beckett knew.

The truth was that they were both scared. They feared that the relationship would fail…they feared that the relationship would succeed. Neither was willing 'upturn the applecart', so they had silently agreed that things would stay as they were: partners and very close friends.

"I think I need a drink." Castle closed the door softly and made his way into the kitchen, Beckett a few paces behind him. He took a bottle of scotch and two glasses down from the liquor cabinet. Becket made herself comfortable on one of the barstools while he leaned against the counter opposite her. They were silent for a long moment, both unused to being in such rough, uncharted waters.

"All jokes and pithy remarks and deflections aside, I need to know Rick. You flirt and you tease…I never know if I should take you seriously. Can I? Do you seriously want me?"

He ran his hands through the week of stubble that graced his face and then opened the bottle. He poured some of the amber liquid into each glass, handing one to her and taking a healthy sip of his own. "I love you—I'm in love with you." Castle's eyes ventured up from his drink as he spoke so Kate could see the sincerity in his expression.

She rolled her eyes slightly. He never could seem to follow directions. "That wasn't my question. Do you want me?"

He took another sip of scotch. "You don't deserve me." Her brows shot up in confusion, "You deserve someone better—someone good. He should be serious and real and he shouldn't have two failed marriages and a grown daughter."

"And yet, I want you." She took a sip of her own drink, relishing the slight burn as it slid down her throat. She shook her head softly, "It's not even a matter of what I want or what I deserve—I need you, Rick."

"I want you, Kate, more than I have ever wanted anything. It's not just that though—I need you, too. I would break you out of prison, innocent or not, because I couldn't stand to be without you." She smiled softly but it soon turned into a long yawn. "You haven't slept in the last like thirty-six hours." He moved to put his glass in the sink.

Kate slid off the barstool. "Neither have you. I should get going." She moved towards the door when he stopped her.

"Stay," it came out as a gentle command, "Please?"

"I don't think—"

"This is important, Kate. I don't want the time or space to psych ourselves out, you know? Please stay. No funny business, I promise. Just some sleep and then we can continue this when we wake up." He held his hand out to her. She nodded softly and put her hand in his, following down the hall to his bedroom.

* * *

><p>Consciousness slowly descended upon Rick Castle. He took a deep breath as he cleared the mental cobwebs. The first thing that really registered to him was warmth. Against his chest was something warm and solid. He opened his eyes slowly, smiling when prior events played through his mind. He would never have accused her of being a cuddler for fear of death, but finding out the truth first hand was so much better. <em>The<em> Kate Beckett, the no-nonsense, hard-nosed Homicide Detective, was currently cuddled into his side, her nose brushing up against his chest and her fingers loosely gripping his shirt. Castle smiled brightly, he could definitely get used to this. He looked over to his nightstand to check the time, 6:51pm. They had slept for almost fourteen hours. He stretched as best as he could without jostling her awake and then proceeded to extricate himself from her grasp.

"Mmm," she moaned softly at the loss of contact. Castle smiled as he made his way into the bathroom as stealthily as possible. Seconds after the door to the bathroom closed, the sharp trill of a cell phone filled the bedroom. Kate shot up in bed immediately, groping around the nightstand for the offending device, trying to clear the fog in her mind. She hit a button and brought the phone to her mouth, "Beckett."

"_Detective Beckett? Why are you answering Dad's phone? Is everything alright?_"

That sobered Kate quickly. "Alexis, hey," she shook her head in an effort to wake herself up fully. "No, he's fine. I just… grabbed his phone on accident."

"_Oh, okay. Is he available?_"

Kate looked around the room, grasping for a believable excuse. "He just…stepped out for coffee." Kate held her breath, hoping the girl would find it plausible. It wasn't uncommon for Castle to make coffee runs several times throughout the day but he never forgot his phone, especially not when his daughter was out of town.

"_Alright, can you have him call me when he gets back?_"

"Of course. I'll let him know as soon as I see him."

"_Thanks. Bye, Detective Beckett._"

"Bye." She hung up the phone and threw herself back down onto the bed, letting out a huge sigh of relief.

"Everything alright?" Castle finally exited the bathroom.

Kate let out a mirthless laugh and said, "I answered your phone on accident. It was Alexis." He nodded and took a seat at the foot of the bed. She sat back up on the bed and handed his phone over to him.

"Was something wrong?" he asked.

Kate shook her head. "No, she just wanted to talk to you."

Castle gave her a confused look. "Then what's got you so flustered?" Kate stared down at the sheets, finding them suddenly interesting. "You didn't want Alexis to know you were here," he concluded.

"I just…It caught me off guard. Everything is still so up in the air right now, I didn't really know the protocol here."

Castle nodded. "Don't worry. While you've never actually answered my phone before, I doubt Alexis found it unusual considering the amount of time you and I spend together."

Kate glanced around the room uncomfortably, her eyes falling on the alarm clock. "Wow, fourteen hours of sleep and I still feel tired."

Castle laughed. "Apparently too much sleep has a similar effect as too little sleep. I was actually just going to suggest we move this out to the kitchen. We can make some coffee or maybe order some dinner." Kate nodded thoughtfully and moved to get out of the bed. She had slept in her clothes, making them even more uncomfortable than they had been the night before. "You can freshen up in my bathroom. I've got pajama pants and a t-shirt if you're interested."

"That would be great actually. I didn't really have the chance to change before I came over here."

He nodded and pulled the clothes from his dresser, handing them to her on his way out of the room. "Remy's?" he asked from the doorway.

"They don't deliver." And neither of them really wanted to leave his loft right now.

Castle gave her one of his trademark smirks. "I'll figure something out."

Kate rolled her eyes and went into the bathroom to change.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, Kate was just entering the living room as Castle was tipping the delivery boy, who was actually one of the dishwashers from the restaurant.<p>

"Thanks, and tell Tommy I owe him—big time." The kid nodded happily and left just as quickly as he had arrived.

"And how exactly did you get delivery from a place that doesn't deliver?"

Castle shrugged and gestured to the kitchen. "Considering how much business we've given them over the last few years, Tommy was happy to help," she quirked a disbelieving brow at him. "There might have been a promise of Yankees tickets as well."

She shook her head at his comment and followed him into the kitchen. "And that poor kid, he probably had to ride his bike all the way over here."

"Well I'm not all that concerned, considering the tip I gave him."

"So what did you get?"

Castle put the brown paper bags down on the counter while he rummaged through the cabinets for plates and utensils. He separated the plates and then opened one of the bags up. "Cheeseburger, no onions, extra tomatoes," he put the burger on her plate, "Bacon cheeseburger, no lettuce, extra barbecue sauce," he added it to his own plate, "And an order of fried zucchini to split. The ranch dressing is in the fridge."

She moved behind him to retrieve it and a handful of napkins. "You thought of almost everything."

He smirked at her and opened up the other bag. "Two triple chocolate shakes." Kate smiled brightly at him, "Come on, this is a no-brainer, even for me." They took their plates out to the living room and sat down on the couch. "TV?" He held up the remote.

"I'm good with the present company."

Castle laughed lightly and settled into his spot. "So—" His cell phone rang again. "Sorry, it's Alexis. She didn't answer when I called earlier—"

"No please, go ahead."

"Hey pumpkin. How's it going?"

"_Great. San Francisco is amazing and Gram is showing me all around the city. We've been on the cable cars practically every day._" Martha had been offered a lead role in a musical. It was a huge deal for her—the only problems were that it was in San Francisco and that the schedule left no time for her to fly between the two cities. When Martha had packed up and moved out to the west coast, even though it was only temporary, Alexis had been devastated. Despite the initial qualms about having her eccentric grandmother come to live with them, the young girl had grown to depend on Martha. Alexis had felt her absence profoundly, especially when her father's advice about boys and dating had been somewhat lacking. So, for a graduation present, Rick had decided to send Alexis out to stay with her grandmother until the musical ran its course. In just eight days, both his mother and his daughter would be back in Manhattan where they belonged.

"That's good to hear. I hope you're taking lots of pictures. Is Gram treating you alright?"

Alexis laughed. "_Of course she is. It's amazing here_."

"That's good; although I have a feeling you aren't calling to regale me with details of your trip."

His daughter sighed heavily. "_Have you spoken to mom recently?_"

The question caught him off-guard. "No I haven't. Is she okay?" Meredith hadn't been in his orbit for a long time but he still carried a certain amount of affection for her, if only as Alexis' mother.

"_She's fine. She's uh…getting married next week actually…to her co-star._" The sentence hung in the air.

"The one who plays—"

"_Yup._"

"But he's, what, seven years—"

"_Yup._" Rick paused to think.

"Are you alright with this?"

"_Well, I mean, it's weird obviously, but I met him when I was visiting over spring break. He seems alright. I didn't really think it was serious but I guess I was wrong._"

"Well as long as you're alright with it. It's okay not to be, you know."

"_I know Dad, but he seems to make her happy. That's all that really matters._"

"Yeah."

"_Well the wedding is the day after I'm supposed to fly home. I figured that we'd just stay in California until the wedding instead of flying all the way back to New York for a day and then having to fly all the way back out._"

"Well that would definitely make things easier for you and Gram."

"_Plus, you can come meet us in LA for the weekend and then go the wedding with me._"

"I'm sorry, what was that last part?"

"_I was kind of hoping you'd be my date to the wedding—I know Gram won't want to go anywhere near it. I figured she could stay with me in LA until you got there. Please, daddy, I don't want to go without you._"

He could practically see her doing her best puppy-dog face over the phone. "I'll think about it, alright Pumpkin. Although I doubt I'll be welcomed with open arms."

"_Please? Please? Please? Please? I really don't want to go by myself._"

Castle rolled his eyes. "Listen sweetie, I've got company right now so we'll continue this negotiation later, okay?"

"_Okay, Dad. I love you._"

"Love you too. And remember, you're grandmother's Amex may have a limit but yours does not. Have some fun out there." She laughed and wished him a goodnight before hanging up the phone. "Sorry, I got a little caught up in the conversation."

Kate waved him off. "I understand. You've been mooning over her since she left and it's only been six days."

Castle laughed. "Yeah, it's been tough. This is her last summer with me before college and I'm giving up two weeks of it to my mother."

Kate nodded sympathetically. "Well at least she's only going to Colombia—that's infinitely closer than Oxford."

He picked up the remains of his burger and dug in. "Thank God. I don't think I could have taken it if she'd moved to another country."

"So has she decided whether or not she's going to move into the dorms?"

Castle shook his head no. "I know I would feel more comfortable if she stayed at home—plus she won't have to deal with some annoying roommate and the loud parties on her floor. On the other hand, the parties and the annoying roommates and the communal bathrooms are a big part of the experience. She's so grown up already in so many ways…I just want her to have more life experience, you know."

Kate smiled at Castle's obvious concern for his daughter. "I lived at home while I went to college—it was only a ten minute subway ride to NYU. It was easier than moving…and a lot less intimidating."

He smiled. "Do you regret not having the typical college experience? Stepping out of your comfort zone, trying something new…"

Kate shook her head. "On Fridays, my mom and I would ride the subway together, stop for coffee and a bagel at her favorite bakery near campus…some of the best times she and I had, just having breakfast in her office before one of us had to go to class."

Castle knew he was staring, but he honestly didn't care. Moments like these, moments where Kate would talk about her mother with something other than sadness on her face, were rare and he cherished every memory she shared with him. "Meredith is getting married…to someone who is sixteen years her junior," he said after a moment of silence.

"I didn't ask."

He chuckled, remembering their previous conversations like that. "You're very good at 'not asking' questions, detective."

Kate shifted in her seat. "How do you feel about that?"

He shrugged. "I'm really only concerned with how it's going to affect Alexis. He's only seven years older than her."

"So it doesn't affect you at all?"

Castle caught the silent question in her tone: _Does it bother you that your ex-wife is getting married? _"I'm happy for her, I suppose," he answered carefully. "She's Alexis' mother—I want her to find love and have a good life."

"But that's it?" she pressed.

Castle sighed, knowing that this was a conversation they really needed to have. His exes had only ever been spoken about in passing. If the issue would come up, Castle would make some pithy remark or redirect the conversation somehow. Kate knew that his relationships had failed but she had never really found out why. "I guess it's time for that conversation, huh?"

Kate shrugged as casually as she could manage. "I just need to know where we stand. Where I stand," she amended.

Rick put his empty plate down on the coffee table and used a napkin to wipe the remains of his burger from his face. "I've been in three serious relationships, all of whom you've met at some point. With Kyra, we were so young. It was too much too soon but we were naïve enough to believe that it would be effortless. It was great for a while but when the big issues settled in, we just weren't ready to deal with them. She left and I was heartbroken."

"Why didn't you go after her?"

He shrugged. "I was scared. I got hurt, more than I ever had been at the time. I knew that going after her would mean opening myself up to that possibility again."

"So she's the one who got away," Kate supplied.

"I thought that way for awhile but it's not true. Kyra was a choice, a fork in the road. My life would be completely different if I had gone after her. I like my life, the people in it. I wouldn't change it for the world." He reached over and grasped her hand in his.

Kate sighed. "I guess we should go quid pro quo. It's only fair."

Castle smiled lecherously at her. "_Really?_"


	2. Chapter 2

"Did Detective Kate Beckett actually _volunteer_ to give up personal information? To _me_?" Castle was smiling like a kid in a candy store.

"Well I figured that since you were being all honest with me, I should probably reciprocate." Kate's expression dared him to challenge her.

His grin shifted into a playful smirk. "Does that mean you're going to reciprocate _everything_ I do?"

She leaned ever so slightly closer to him. "We'll get to that later."

His jaw practically fell to the floor. He was expecting her usual chastisement for his innuendo, not an invitation of sorts. "Apologies. Please, continue."

Kate laughed lightly. "I've been in two serious relationships…Will and James."

Castle nodded thoughtfully. "So what did you tell James?" Castle knew that she had broken up with him prior to coming over. Another woman might have kept the doctor waiting in the wings as a fallback, just in case their original plans didn't work out, but not Kate. She was an all in or all out person.

"The truth. I told him that he's a great guy…he's just not the one for me." She left out the part where James practically begged her to reconsider.

Castle nodded sagely. "No matter how much you might want to, you can't force a relationship to work."

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience."

He smirked at her. "You know, it's really not fair to use interrogation tactics during a personal conversation."

Kate shrugged coyly and said, "In my defense, getting you to open up is like pulling teeth sometimes."

"You're not exactly the epitome of openness yourself, detective."

She nodded. "You're right, I'm not. But I'm trying."

He smiled genuinely at her. "Then so will I. We were discussing relationships, I believe—not being able to force them." She nodded for him to continue. "I was very fond of Meredith…she was fun and free and unpredictable. It was comfortable to me—exactly what I'd grown up around. We weren't together long before she got pregnant, maybe three months. It didn't take much convincing—we hopped on a plane to Vegas and eloped."

"No big, gaudy ceremony?"

He laughed in response. "Small ceremony, just us, a witness and The King Himself presiding."

"Definitely gaudy though."

"Oh, absolutely." They shared a laugh.

"So what happened?" Kate pulled her feet up on the couch so she could sit Indian style.

"Well, we bought a place in Tribeca, I signed my first big contract with Black Pawn and Meredith continued with her acting career. Nothing really changed for a while. Then after Alexis was born, I would spend my days at home with her and my nights writing or researching for work. And Meredith was…Meredith."

"Were you happy?"

Castle paused for a moment with a faraway look on his face. "I thought I was," he said softly after a moment of silence. "I didn't have that when I was growing up—two parents, a steady household. I wanted that for Alexis, so I think I convinced myself that everything was fine. But after a while, I started noticing the changes. Meredith would come home later, leave earlier…she just didn't want to be _there_. I think the best way to describe it would be…imagine trying to domesticate a wild animal. It might work for a while, but eventually they have to go back to what they know."

"She just left?"

He shook his head at the memory. "I came home from meeting one afternoon and she was waiting with packed bags and divorce papers—her director was waiting in the cab downstairs."

Kate winced. "Ouch."

He shrugged in response. "It hurt but I can't say that I didn't see it coming. I was so wrapped up in my career and Alexis that Meredith ceased being the center of attention—something that most definitely does not sit well with her. I kept expecting her to change, grow up some, but as it turns out, you can't force people to do it—has to be their decision."

Kate nodded. "That one I do know."

He raised an eyebrow at her admission. "Oh?" Castle rearranged himself on the couch, settling in for her story.

"You were right, you know."

A grin enveloped his whole face at her words. "Really?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later."

"You wound me, Detective," he put a hand over his heart in mock hurt.

"Have to keep your ego in check somehow, Castle." He scoffed. "In fact, it must be microscopic by now."

"I assure you, my ego is much larger than that." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"We'll see," she dismissed him playfully. "Anyway…where was I?"

"I believe you were telling me that I was right." Kate shook her head in mock exasperation—keeping up with him was tiring at times, but always fun.

"I met Will when I was a rookie detective, less than a year on the job. I can't say there were sparks immediately, especially considering how the case turned out, but there was _something_ there—a mutual respect I think. He and I were a lot alike: methodical, persistent, driven—"

"Stubborn," Castle supplied.

"Yeah, we were both pretty damn stubborn."

"_Were stubborn?_" Kate shot him a 'really?' look and he shut his mouth. "I love you?" He donned his best expression of innocence.

"Hm," she dismissed it. "The real problem was that neither of us liked change. More importantly, we weren't willing to change for each other. We were both career driven people who expected the other to bend."

"Clearly that never happened."

Kate shook her head. "Will got a job offer in Boston and he took it. He never consulted me, never actually asked me to go with him. He just assumed that if I really loved him I'd give in and go with him."

"Did you want to?"

Kate shook her head. "I spent too much time building up my walls and becoming this new person. I wasn't ready to let him in," she laughed mirthlessly. "Although, now that I think about it, he didn't really try."

"I had the opposite problem with Gina. She wanted me to let her in but I just never could."

"Why?"

"Alexis, for the most part," he replied honestly. "Not that she'd ever admit it, but Meredith leaving us devastated her. I don't think she ever really got over it. I never wanted to try and force someone into her life only to have them leave. And I had already had my heart broken by Kyra, so I was pretty apprehensive about putting it out there again. With Gina, I thought we had a chance…she understood me well enough and she liked Alexis…she just wanted more than I was willing to give her—both times."

"You're very protective of her," Kate observed.

Castle nodded solemnly. "I wanted Alexis to grow up with a sense of permanence. I never wanted to bring anyone around who I didn't think would become a fixture in her life."

Kate smiled. "You know, despite being a man-child most of the time, you're actually a pretty amazing father."

"She's an amazing kid—young woman now, I guess."

Kate patted his shoulder in sympathy. She knew how hard it was for him to accept that his daughter was an adult now. "You know what we need?"

"Alcohol?" His eyebrows danced.

Kate gave him a look that said 'maybe'. "Or we could—" Her phone rang.

He let out a frustrated laugh. "One day, you and I are going to have an entire evening where we turn the ringers off."

She rolled her eyes. "Never gonna happen, Castle. Beckett," she answered her phone.

"_What in the hell is going on, girl?_" Lanie's voice thundered out of the phone.

Kate winced. "Hey, Lanie."

"_Don't 'Hey, Lanie' me. I come by your place tonight to steal you away for a girl's night out and do you know what I find? Not only are you gone but I find your boyfriend sitting next to your door, looking like someone kicked his puppy. Now spill._"

Kate rubbed at her face with her unoccupied hand. She gestured to Castle that she was going to take her phone call to his office. "Look, Lanie, I'll explain everything—"

"_Now. You'll explain it now. Let's start with…_" the ME's voice was muffled as Kate closed the door behind her.

Instead of moving towards the office to listen at the door as he usually would have, Castle decided to take care of a few things that needed to be done. He cleared the plates from the living room, threw away the trash and rinsed off the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher, all the while thinking. They were at a crossroads of sorts now. All of the cards had been laid on the table and it could go either way. Did he really want this, a shot with Kate Beckett? Of course he did, a million times over. Did he trust himself not to screw it up? Now that was the nagging doubt constantly in the back of his thoughts. Every relationship he had ever been in had ended and while even he wasn't egotistical enough to believe that he had been the cause for each split, he couldn't help but think that he had been a common factor in all of them. He didn't want to do that with Kate—he wanted to be her 'one and done'. He would be crushed if the relationship was to end and it would kill him to hurt her. The longer he thought, the more he realized the possible negative outcomes were starting to outweigh the positive ones.

"Sorry," Kate said as she made her way into the kitchen. "You know how Lanie can get sometimes." Castle nodded absently as he busied himself with wiping the counter down. "Everything okay?" Kate could sense the shift in his demeanor.

He stopped what he was doing and steadied his gaze on her. "Are you sure about this?"

Kate swallowed thickly. "Look, if you're not ready—"

"That's not it. I love you and I want this."

"But?" She waited for him to continue.

"I can't guarantee that it's going to work. I _think_ it is, I certainly want it to, but nothing is ever a sure thing. And if this ends, it could end really, really badly. You've become a really important person in my life, not just because you inspire me or because you challenge me. I feel comfortable, like its okay to be myself around you—I've never felt like that before, and I don't want to lose that."

"You don't think that I have the same fears?" She walked around the counter to him and put his hands in hers. "It scares me to death, the thought of you not being in my life but I know that we can't keep things the way that they are. I realized that if we didn't change something, we'd end up losing our relationship anyway. I know it won't be easy and I know there's no guarantee, but I love you and I want to try."

His heart soared at her words. All was right in Richard Castle's world—Katherine Beckett had finally declared her love for him and had expressed a desire to be in a relationship with him. "I love you, too." Using their already joined hands, he pulled her closer. He lowered his head tentatively, giving her the option to pull back; instead she surprised him by meeting him halfway in their first kiss. It was a slow, gentle meeting of their mouths, neither wanting to jump too far ahead. They pulled away after a few moments, both grinning madly. After a brief pause to look in her eyes, Castle moved back down for another kiss. The second kiss was less gentle, more of an exploration of each other—it went on for some time. At some point during the kiss, they had pulled their hands apart. Castle's hands were now on her hip and her neck, pulling her closer still while Kate's were tangled in his hair. The kiss continued to grow in passion and urgency. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Castle realized that Kate had been pushing him back more and more until he finally bumped the kitchen counter.

He broke the kiss. "Wait."

"What?" Kate tried to get control of her breathing.

"Are we moving too fast?"

Kate laughed. "Two years of foreplay isn't enough time for you, Castle?"

He laughed lightly. "It's plenty for me, but—"

"Have you ever known me to do something I wasn't completely sure of?" She moved her hands down to circle the back of his neck.

_Yes_, Castle thought, _as a matter of fact I have_. Beckett had been forced to do things she wasn't entirely sure about all the time, always trying to make the best of a bad situation. She relied very heavily on her intuition in these situations and for the most part it worked out well. He would just have to follow her lead. He moved to the side slightly, putting some distance between them. He held out his hand. "Ready?"

She smiled as she put her hand in his. "You have no idea," she smirked and followed him down the hall to his bedroom.

* * *

><p>Castle awoke with a huge grin the next morning. Even though it was 5am on a Sunday, he couldn't be happier—he was currently spooning with a very naked Kate Beckett. He ran his fingers lightly down the exposed skin of her upper back, his lips soon followed. He began trailing light, open kisses across her back and up to her neck, ending right near her ear. "Good morning," he whispered as he felt her stir.<p>

"Good morning," the smile in her voice very apparent. Last night had been amazing—everything she had wanted. Much like their relationship, their first time had been a slow, sweet build-up. It was passionate and caring, beautiful even. They had simply drifted off to sleep afterwards. Somewhere around midnight, they found themselves in a similar situation—only this time was anything but sweet and sensual. It was the culmination of nearly three years, brimming with pent-up sexual frustration and passion. Kate blushed as she remembered—his ego may have been massive but as it turned out, it was very well-deserved.

"Breakfast?" he nuzzled her neck, right below her ear.

She let out a throaty laugh. "What did you have in mind?" she rolled herself over so that she was facing him.

"Well," he pretended to contemplate, "We could go downstairs and make breakfast or we could go out."

"That's a tough decision….both of those options require leaving the bed."

He smiled his usual, cocky smile. "I knew it. Now that you've had me, you are hopelessly addicted."

She raised a brow at him. "Really?"

He shrugged lightly. "I might be projecting my own feelings on the situation." His stare turned serious. "I love you."

She smiled wryly and teased, "You're such a girl sometimes, Castle." On the inside, she was beaming—just like she had every other time he told her he loved her.

"So, breakfast?"

She nodded. "But I need a shower first."

"I'll go start breakfast while you're in the shower." He slid out of bed and pulled a pair of boxers from his dresser. Kate sat up and admired the view. He had a pretty nice body, not that she'd ever tell him that. He didn't go to the gym everyday but he obviously took care of himself—_yoga maybe_, she thought.

"Enjoying the show?" He asked without even looking back at her.

She blushed slightly, but refused to admit it. "Well, it's the only thing on right now."

"Uh-huh," he said patronizingly but didn't push it further. He turned around to face her, "Everything's in the cabinet next to the shower—shampoo, conditioner, towels—feel free to whatever you need."

Kate nodded and sat up in bed, holding the sheet in place around her upper body. "Thanks." She felt his stare on her after a few minutes. "What?" she looked up at him.

He shook his head but the smiled on his face said differently. She glared at him until he caved. "It's just…your modestly," he gestured to the bed sheet. "It's amusing."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, not everyone likes to be gawked at, Castle."

He nodded, mock-solemn. "Well I am a fan of gawking at beautiful things. Like your body—absolutely amazing, especially the tattoo on your—"

"Castle." Her glare stopped his teasing.

"I'll be in the kitchen when you're done." He walked over to the bed and bent down to give her a soft kiss on the forehead. She laughed as she watched him practically bounce out of the bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: So here we are. Sorry this took so long to update. Please enjoy. Also, a big thank-you to my editor Jaded Daisy for her assistance on this—my story would still be stuck in my head without her. I would also like to remind her that she owes me something shiny. Enjoy, and please leave me a review. _

_K_

* * *

><p>"I never pegged you for a one-trick pony," Kate called as she entered the kitchen a little while later.<p>

"Well maybe I just like pancakes," Castle challenged as he poured more batter onto the griddle.

"Maybe you're just being lazy." She walked over to the refrigerator and opened the doors.

Castle laughed. "You're out of luck if you're looking for anything more extravagant than pancakes and coffee. The uh, fridge is a bit sparse right now."

"Because Alexis isn't here to do the grocery shopping." She closed it after pulling the coffee creamer out.

"No." Kate raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Okay not entirely," he amended. "If you remember correctly, we've basically been living at the precinct since last Sunday. I've only been home to change clothes, take a nap and to take Alexis to the airport. I haven't exactly been able to go shopping."

Kate nodded. "At this point, I'll have to go home and clear all of the takeout containers out of my fridge."

He placed a stack of pancakes in front of her and a cup of hot coffee. "Death of the Styrofoam Temple, a sad day indeed."

She added creamer to her coffee and took a bite or her breakfast. "Give me a week or so, I'll have it rebuilt."

He shook his head disapprovingly. "You eat too much takeout. It's unhealthy, you know."

"I don't exactly have time to cook, Castle. I usually pull a twelve hour shift—at least."

He nodded absently as he dug into his own food. He didn't like the idea of her working so many hours but he knew he wasn't going to be able to change it. It was part of her personality and she'd probably bite his head off if he even tried to suggest that she slow down. He'd have to be more subtle, have her over for family dinners or make sure she ate a real breakfast before leaving for work. "So what are your plans for today?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Trying to keep me captive, Castle?"

He shrugged. "While the idea certainly has merit, I was simply curious."

She nodded disbelievingly. "As much as I'd like to stay, I really have things to take care of today. Plus, if I don't see Lanie soon, she's likely to send a search party out for me."

"What are you going to tell her?"

She took a sip of her coffee before answering. "Girl-talk is sacred, Castle. But if you're wondering what I'm going to tell everyone else, I'm going to tell them the truth—you and I are together. Although I'd really appreciate if we could keep this as low-profile as possible…out of the precinct and off of page-six."

Castle nodded. "I promise not to take out a billboard but I can't really guarantee that the papers won't eventually get wind of it. The best thing, honestly, is to let my publicist know what's going on. She's in the best position to stop any articles or pictures before they go to print."

"Well I certainly don't want to be assaulted by any nubile Castle groupies while I'm on the job." They shared a laugh.

"Is this…Is 'us' going to affect our working relationship?" he asked, apprehension evident on his face. It was the question they were both thinking but neither wanted to voice.

"Maybe a little," Kate told him honestly. "I'm not expecting you to all of a sudden start listening to me or start respecting my boundaries, but I know that some things will change. Especially because we'll be spending _a lot_ more time together. I just don't want…"

"For us to get sick of each other," Castle supplied.

Kate nodded. "I want to spend time with you and not just when we're working. But I like my space, you know."

Castle nodded. After all the hours spent studying Kate, he knew her well enough to know that sometimes she just needed to be alone to think things over; which unfortunately conflicted with his desire to be around her all the time. It was the hard part of any relationship, finding a balance between spending time with one another while still keeping some semblance of independence. "So what, I won't work on every case with you guys?"

She shook her head. "No—I still want you to be my partner—just maybe no more days where you spend hours staring at me while I do paperwork and drink coffee."

"Deal, but on those days, you have dinner with me."

"I can probably agree to those terms." She finished her pancakes and coffee and took her dishes over to the sink.

"Well—" The doorbell interrupted his reply. Castle went into the living room to answer the door. "Can I help you?" he asked the young man who was standing in the hallway.

"For Castle." He held up a few garments, wrapped in a thin layer of cellophane.

"Right. How much do I owe you?" Castle pulled his wallet out.

"$32.50." The delivery guy handed Castle the bill. He handed the kid two twenties and took the clothes from him.

"You got your dry cleaning delivered?" Kate called from the kitchen. "Some suit that you desperately needed for today?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

Castle walked back to her, simply ignoring her comment. "Usually Alexis or myself makes a trip every few days, but I thought you'd like to have this as soon as possible." He handed her a few of the hangers, they were the clothes that she had worn over.

"You had my clothes cleaned?"

He shrugged. "As much as I like it, you can't exactly run around in my pajamas all day."

"Thank you." She seemed genuinely touched at his consideration.

He ended their moment in true Castle fashion. "Do you need help changing? I'm very good at removing clothes." Kate rolled her eyes and moved past him to go change in his room. "The offer still stands," he called as she strolled out of the room.

She came back out a few minutes later to find him on the phone.

"Okay, _fine_ 1:00…I'll meet you there." He sighed exasperatedly and hung it up. "Hi," he greeted her when he saw her.

"Something wrong?"

He shook his head. "Just Paula being Paula. Do you have to go already?"

She moved over to him and put her hands on his waist. "Yeah, I do."

He frowned slightly and tilted his neck down to kiss her. "Let me take you out tonight," he suggested after they broke apart.

She nodded. "Okay." They moved towards the door, holding hands.

He opened the door for her. "I'll pick you up at six." She smiled and then gave him one last peck on the lips before leaving. He stood in his open doorway, watching her until the elevator doors closed. He smiled wryly and then went back into loft.

* * *

><p>"Lanie!" Kate called out to her friend. She was currently seated at one of the outdoor tables at a café near her place. She had finished all of her errands pretty quickly once she had gotten home, which was unfortunate in some aspects because it afforded her the time and the space to start over-analyzing things. Needing to get out of her head, she had decided to walk the five blocks to the café and wait for her best friend.<p>

"Hey girl." Lanie bent down to give the detective a one-armed hug. She took her seat on the other side of the table and picked up her menu. "So, what's good here?"

Kate gave the other woman a suspicious look. "Pretty much everything."

"As good as Writer-Boy?" Kate rolled her eyes—she had walked into that one. "Or was he all talk?"

Kate smirked. "Writer-Man," she corrected, "And it definitely was not talk. His ego is apparently well deserved."

Lanie dropped her menu, surprised at her friend's candid words. "Details. Now!"

Kate laughed and flagged down a waitress so they could order. "I went over there at like four in the morning, woke him up out of a dead sleep and started in on him. I told him that I was trying to be happy and I just couldn't because I didn't know what he wanted. And I asked him point blank whether or not he seriously had feelings for me." The waitress came by and placed their drinks down in front of them.

Lanie sipped her water. "Anyone with eyes could see that he did."

"But he never fully committed. It was always an off-hand remark or some long, lingering look. As much as he wears his heart on his sleeve, he can be really hard to read sometimes." Kate poured a packet of artificial sugar into her iced tea and stirred it in.

"I take it he jumped at the chance?"

"Actually, he was hesitant at first," Kate admitted. While she usually wouldn't be considered a 'sharer', Lanie was her best friend and Kate really needed someone to talk to.

"After all the banter and jealousy and grand overtures, the man gets gun-shy when you actually give in?"

Kate studied her glass carefully. "He said I deserved someone better. He's afraid of hurting me and ruining our friendship."

Lanie nodded. Castle and Beckett had become constants in each other's lives and taking a chance like this had the potential to blow their entire relationship apart—the friendship probably wouldn't survive a break-up. "Not that I'm not over-the-moon-happy because the two of you finally stopped being so damn stupid, but what changed? Last time you and I talked, you were content with the Good Doctor."

"He proposed," Kate said quietly after a short pause. "James was at my place when I got home, lying in bed waiting for me. He was pretty shaken up about something. Apparently, a guy came in with his fiancé to get a broken wrist treated and while they were there, she had a brain aneurism and died. It really affected James…he said it reminded him how fleeting life is. The next thing I know, he's pulling a ring out of his pocket and asking me become Mrs. Dr. Whitlock."

Lanie's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "He already had a ring?" Kate nodded. "So this wasn't really just some off-the-cuff proposal?"

Kate shrugged. "I guess he'd been thinking about it for a while…but we'd never even talked about marriage. When James asked, I froze…I didn't know what to do. There were so many thoughts going through my head—most of them were about running."

Lanie smirked. "And the other ones were about Castle."

"Yeah," Kate admitted softly. "I told James that he was a great guy, he just wasn't it for me and I left. I walked around for a while and then I hailed a cab, gave him Castle's address and pounded down his door before I could change my mind."

"Given how everything played out, I doubt Writer-Boy minded much." Kate quirked her eyebrow. "Writer-Man," Lanie corrected. "Speaking of, what's the deal now?"

Kate drained the rest of her iced tea. "We settled some things, I think, but it's kind of an undertaking. We were strictly friends for two and a half years and now all of a sudden we're in this…" Kate paused as the waitress brought their food and refilled their drinks.

"All of a sudden, you and Castle are possibly in a serious relationship—foreign territory for the two of you," Lanie surmised.

Kate nodded as she speared a piece of pasta from her plate. "It's definitely a serious relationship, not just sex—he's made that clear—but the rest of it…I don't really know. There are a lot of things I'm not entirely sure about. Like his daughter and his mother—they're coming home Sunday."

"And?"

"And I don't know if I'm entirely comfortable sleeping with him when his daughter and his mother are upstairs. Plus…we can get pretty loud."

Lanie laughed at the self-conscious expression on her best friend's face. "Really? That's what you're worried about?"

"It's a valid concern," Kate defended. "I would have been traumatized if I had ever heard my parents…" she trailed off with a shudder. Their conversation paused for a moment as the waitress brought the check out to the table. Kate pulled out her credit card to put in the bill-fold but found that Lanie had beaten her to it. The ME put it at the edge of the table for the waitress to take.

"Alexis is eighteen and you've met his mother. With everything that goes on over there, I doubt they'll even bat an eye at it." Kate nodded thoughtfully. She had learned first hand—you never really knew what you were going to walk in on at Castle's loft: fencing matches, laser tag duels, family meals, the occasional impromptu show-tune…

"It's just…different and new. I think it's going to take some time to transition into it."

"Do you regret it? Moving so fast," Lanie clarified at Kate's confused look.

"No," Kate smiled. "I definitely don't regret it." She shrugged. "It's just, everything else happened so gradually. I had time and I could see things coming. Now it seems like everything is moving so fast."

"So what are you going to do?" Lanie was apprehensive about her best friend's answer. Kate Beckett was a strong, reasonable person—except when it came to emotional matters, she usually chose to hide from those. It would be a shame for Kate to have come so far only to back off now.

"Talk to Castle, I guess. I've never been in this situation."

Lanie shrugged. "I don't know…that seems like far too simple of a solution for the two of you." She was pelted with a sugar packet. "Keep this up and Castle might just receive some of the more torrid details from our last girls-night."

Kate laughed and rolled her eyes. "Fine—I'll be nice—but you have to help me pick out an outfit for tonight."

"Date?" Lanie's eyes lit up.

"Yeah, I don't know where though, so I have no clue about the dress code." Kate scoffed and shook her head. With Castle, it was truly impossible to be prepared for whatever his mind could come up with. Burgers at Remy's, whatever passed for food at some New Age place or a picnic in the park, you just had to be ready.

"You of all people, didn't ask where he was taking you?"

Kate shook her head in frustration. "It didn't cross my mind at the time and if I call him and ask him now…"

"Then he'd have one over on you…" Lanie scoffed lightly at Kate's nod. "You know, one would think that since the two of you finally let out all that pent-up frustration, the rivalry would die down a bit."

Kate laughed. "Our entire relationship was built on a certain level of antagonism. If we didn't banter and play back and forth, we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves."

"I knew it! You like fighting with him—it gets you off."

Kate shrugged slyly. "What can I say? I like sword-play…" The pair shared a laugh at that. "But seriously, I have no idea what to wear."

"Well, this is Castle, so anything is possible. But, the man knows you better than anyone. I doubt he'd take you somewhere you were going to be uncomfortable. Let's go…your brown skirt with that off-white knit shirt and your brown sandals. Casual but not too much and very light for the weather."

Kate shook her head. "I probably would have sat in front of my closet for hours trying to find something. You're a lot better at this than I am—plus you seem to have a freakish knowledge of my wardrobe."

"I _was_ with you when you bought most of it." After her insurance had finally settled her claim, Kate had been forced to shop for an entirely new wardrobe, one in which Lanie was more than happy to help her find—especially if she could expand it to include something other than slacks and a dress shirt. "Although…" The waitress came back with her card and the receipt.

Kate quirked a suspicious brow at her best friend's expression. "What?" she asked cautiously when they were alone again.

"I was just wondering what you were planning on wearing underneath your clothes? You know, lingerie…" Lanie gathered her things and stood from the table.

"I hadn't really thought about it." Kate shrugged as she rose from her seat. "I've never really seen the point in buying it…or wearing it really."

"That's because you haven't found the right shop yet." Lanie looped her arm through Kate's and directed her to the edge of the street so they could hail a taxi.

* * *

><p>Castle paused and took a deep breath as he reached her door at 5:59. He ran a hand down the front of his shirt to remove the non-existent wrinkles and double checked the bouquet in his other hand. He took a final steadying breath before gently knocking on Kate's door.<p>

"Hey," she greeted as she opened the door. "Come in," she moved aside to let him in.

Castle turned to face Kate once he was inside. "You look amazing." Her outfit was comfortable but still decidedly feminine. Her hair was slightly teased and fell almost haphazardly on her head, giving her a sophisticated yet sexy look.

Beckett smirked and gave him a quick once over. "Not too bad yourself, Castle." He was wearing a charcoal gray suit with a crisp white button down, no tie—pretty much the same thing he wore to the precinct every day—and his face was cleanly shaven. "Are those for me?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

Coming out of whatever trance he was in, Castle shook his head slightly and handed the flowers to Kate. "Yes, they are."

She smiled and gently sniffed them as she took them from his hands. "I'm pretty sure that roses are the customary thing here."

He shrugged lightly. "Since when have I ever done anything just because I'm supposed to? Besides, I happen to think these are much more appropriate."

"How so?"

"Well the meaning of an iris happens to be 'inspiration'."

Kate laughed and shook her head. "The fact that you know that…You know, most people would be seriously questioning your sexuality right now."

He smiled and shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time."

"They're beautiful, Rick. Thank-you."

"They pale in comparison to you."

Kate rolled her eyes playfully. "Ever the writer." She moved into the kitchen to put the irises in a vase.

"You know," Castle followed behind her, "I just realized that I forgot to give you a proper greeting."

She turned to face him after filling the vase with water. "Really? And what is—" Castle's lips on hers prevented Kate from finishing her question. "For the record, I liked that greeting much better," she commented after they parted.

"Good because I plan to do it often now that I know you're not going to shoot me when I try."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," she deadpanned.

He smiled. "Ready?" He offered his arm as they moved through the door, into the hallway.

She locked the door behind them. "You never actually told me what the plan was for tonight."

"Hmm," he replied non-committally. "I suppose I didn't."

"I'm a cop, Castle. I don't like surprises." Her tone held a slight warning in it.

"Well then, for tonight at least, you should focus on just being 'Kate'." He could still sense a slight reluctance as they made their way to the elevator. "Do you trust me?" he asked as they entered the elevator.

"Yes. I don't know why some days, but I do." The elevator reached the lobby.

"Well then," he held his arm out for her again. She smiled and looped her arm through his as they made their way into a waiting cab.

* * *

><p>"Okay…I admit it—you were right." Kate took a sip of her wine as the waiter cleared her and Castle's dinner plates from the table. Their dinner had been comfortable, filled with their usual banter and playfulness.<p>

"Where is the tape recorder when you need it?" Castle patted the pockets on his jacket.

"Ha ha," she mocked. "This place is amazing—although I never would have given it a second look." The building that housed the restaurant was old and unkempt—the brick-work was faded and slightly crumpled, the sidewalk was dingy, and the sign that indicated it was an eating establishment was mostly hidden—but it's physical appearance had absolutely no bearing on the service or the quality of the food. "So how did you find it?"

"Much like all of my useless trivia, I came across this place when I was doing book research."

"So what's the story? Former mob front? Operated by Italian Intelligence Agents?"

Castle laughed. "Nothing so ominous, Detective. I was actually roaming the streets, looking for inspiration to strike when it started pouring down rain—the storm came out of nowhere. So I ducked into the first door that I came across, and _voila!_—the best Italian restaurant I've ever been to."

"That sounds about right—sheer dumb-luck." He gave her a faux-wounded look. "It really is great though." Kate's gaze swept across the room for the umpteenth time since they had arrived. The inside was sparsely decorated, only a few delicate paintings and wall sconces adorned the dark red and green walls, and the few tables in the restaurant were staged to give each couple the illusion of privacy. The soft lighting and the homemade candle on the table gave each setting an intimate feeling.

He reached across the table and grasped her hand in his. "I'm glad you liked it." He stared deeply into her eyes.

"How was everything?" The maître d' asked, interrupting their moment.

"It was wonderful," Castle replied, never taking his eyes off of Kate.

"Is there anything else I can get for you? Dessert Perhaps?"

"Just the check is fine." Castle finally looked up at the man.

"Of course." The man bowed his head slightly and placed the billfold unobtrusively on the edge of the table.

Castle pulled his wallet from inside his suit jacket and placed a few bills in with the check. "Ready?" He stood and moved around to her side of the table to pull her chair out.

Kate stood up and collected her purse. "How do you know I didn't want dessert? Maybe a cannoli or some gelato…"

"Well then, you'll just have to trust that I have a plan." He held his arm out for her to take once again. She sighed dramatically and then looped her arm through his.

* * *

><p>"So where are we going?" Kate asked as they made their way through Central Park, holding hands. She had been surprised when Castle had pulled her along the sidewalk instead of stepping up to the curb to hail a cab. They walked the two blocks it took to get to the park and then continued until they came across a little ice cream stand.<p>

"Well it's not gelato, but its great ice cream—plus everything is better when you're walking through Central Park." He stopped and ordered two cones, rocky road for himself and a coffee one for Kate.

"Great dinner, a walk through the park, ice cream, even a full moon…you're good, Castle." They made their way over to a set of benches and sat down.

He shrugged and handed her the cone. "I had to pay extra for the moon, but it was well worth it." The two ate their dessert in a comfortable silence.

"So back to reality tomorrow, huh?" Kate asked after they had finished.

"This doesn't qualify as 'real'?"

She shrugged. "We're kind of in this bubble right now. It's simple and quiet and ours. Tomorrow, we're inviting everybody else in."

"And the bubble breaks."

"Yeah." She nodded.

Castle took a few seconds to think. "Are you afraid of how everyone is going to react?"

Kate shook her head. "I'm worried about how things are going to change."

He took her hands in his. "I hope that we can tackle the changes together. Most of them are going to be slight but some of them will be big. I just think that we need to be honest with each other…and willing to bend a little."

She laughed. "Easier said than done. It's been a long time since I really let someone else into my life."

"We'll figure it out." Castle pulled her close and put his arm around her. They stayed that way for a while, just content to stay in a close embrace and watch the hustle and bustle of park around them.


End file.
